Chocolate Genius, sometimes operating under the expanded name Chocolate Genius Inc., originated as the creative vehicle of singer-songwriter Marc Anthony Thompson, whose eclectic output has spanned modern R&B, jazz, folk, and rock. Born in Panama and raised in California, Thompson later relocated to New York and immersed himself in the downtown avant-garde milieu. After his initial solo releases on Warner—Marc Anthony Thompson in 1984 and Watts & Paris in 1989—stalled without momentum, he redirected his energies toward that same downtown community, collaborating notably with guitarist Marc Ribot during the mid-1990s.
Thompson initially devised the Chocolate Genius moniker as a humorous invention, portraying a fictional recluse of exaggerated self-regard, yet the concept quickly evolved into a serious recording endeavor. The first two full-length Chocolate Genius projects, Black Music in 1998 and Godmusic in 2001, appeared on the V2 label founded by Richard Branson. Supporting Thompson was an informal, rotating ensemble that featured Ribot alongside Jane Scarpantoni, John Medeski, Chris Wood, Chris Whitley, and Vernon Reid, among additional contributors.
Adopting the Chocolate Genius Inc. designation, Thompson and his associates issued Black Yankee Rock in 2005, Swansongs in 2010, and Truth vs. Beauty in 2016, primarily introspective and atmospheric releases on independent imprints. During the intervals between these albums, Thompson contributed studio work to projects by Lizz Wright and performed as a member of Bruce Springsteen’s Seeger Sessions Band.
